Buffing wheel



J. F. LESLIE 2,460,588

BUFFING WHEEL Filed Sept. 1, 1948 I N VEN TOR.

@mw/MM- Patented Feb. l, 1949 y UNITED gs 'mkrlzs PATENT oFFlcr-z 9 claims. (cl. 51-193)y This invention relates to improvements in buffing wheels, and more particularly to a bulng v this character have been subject to certain disy advantages, and particularly have been dimcult to assemble and disassemble. These difficulties have occasioned the requirement for the expenditure of large amounts of time in assembling and disassembling a wheel. It has been the common practice in the art in using buftlng wheels of this type to provide two or more center portions or mounts of different diameters. A given set of fabric ybuifing members lis first used on the smallest center mount. Thereafter, when the fabric has been worn a predetermined amount, reducing the working diameter of the assembly and consequently reducing its peripheral speed below a predetermined minimum, the fabric members have been removed from such small center mount and remounted upon a center mount of larger size. In this way, by remounting fabric members upon center mounts of progressively larger size, substantially full wearing capacity of the fabric parts can be obtained and waste thereof is reduced. However, it will be ap- .parent that if the means for mounting the buftlng members upon center mounts is not convenient and adapted for speedy manipulation and use, a large amount of time is consumed in the mounting, removal and remounting of the fabric members, and the saving effected by the avoidance of waste of the fabric members is at least partially offset by the cost of labor in the transfer of the buing members from one center mount to another. Inasmuch as` a plurality of fabric elements are secured to each center mount and it is common to use a plurality of such assemblies of center mounts and fabric elements upon a single shaft to form one buffer assembly, any small saving of time inthe application and removal of an individual fabricbuiling member will result in a substantial total saving of time for each buffer assembly.

Therefore, it is the primary object of this invention to provide a buiilng wheel which is so constructed that it can be assembled and disas-` sembled easily and quickly.

A further object is to provide a builing wheel l having a center mount and a plurality of fabric members eiectively and detachably secured at 2 ment means effecting a readily releasable hooked engagement of the attached parts.

.A further object is to provide a bufilng wheel comprisinga center mount with hook elements and fabricl members carrying hook-engaging parts wherein the center mount is constructed to so position fabric members as to retain said members against release without requiring the use of separate retainer means.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 i s a face view of one embodiment of the invention.

Fig.' 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3`is a fragmentary face view of another embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a. fabric builing member. y y

Fig. 6 is an enlarged central sectional detail view of a fabric buffing member.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, the numeral II) designates a center mount which constitutes a rigid metal plate. The plate I0 is preferably circular in shape and has a plurality of integral hook portions I2 projecting therefrom. 'I'he hook portions I2 are equally spaced apart about the periphery of the plate I0 and are inwardly return bent. Each of the hook portions I2 is spaced from the center of the plate III an equal distance. A circular retaining plate I4 is adapted to bear against the face of the plate III in a plane intersecting the hook portions I2. The plate I4 is of a diameter slightly less than the spacing of the inner edges of the hooks I2 from the center of the plate I0. Consequently, when the plate I4 is positioned as illustrated in Fig. 2, it serves as a retainer to prevent the release from the hook I2 of any member engaged therewith. The plates I0 and I4 have central openings I6 therein adapted to t around a shaft (not shown). In the event it is desired to provide a wide buing wheel, a plurality of plate units may be mounted upon the shaft in predetermined spaced relation with suitable spacers encircling the shaft andinterposed between the adjacent plate units II! and I4 in a manner well understood in the art. v

A plurality of bufling members I8 are mounted upon the center mount of plate I0 by means of the hooks I2. Each of these bufling members I8 is preferably of the'construction illustrated 'in 3 Figs. 5 and 6 and comprises a plurality of fabric pieces arranged side by sideand preferably constituting concentric disks. One or more surfaces of the fabric disks are positioned reinforcing and rlgidifying members 20 which members 20 are preferably of rectangular form and are positioned l 4 verse dimension of the hooks I2 is such that a substantial area of contact is provided which insures a firm engagement of the eye with the hook to prevent rockingaction. of the bufhng members at the center of the fabric disks, being secured carried by each buillng member -I8, the samefrom which project portions 32 which bear flat against the surface ofthe builing member. Substantially perpendicular portions 34 are formed at the-ends of the portions S2-and pass through the buiing member, the reinforcing members 28, and the apertures 26 of the metal plate 24.- The free or terminal end portions 380i the wire are then bent inwardly to bear against the inner surface of the plate 24. As here shown, the terminai portions preferably abut at their en ds andA may be welded, soldered or otherwise secured together at 38. It will be apparent, therefore, that each buing member has a rigidied and strengthened central portion at which an eye is anchored and that the eye is. so constructedthat the portions 32 and 36 rmly clamp the same in place and serve to position the run 28 in predetermined spaced relation to one Yface of the bulflng member. v

A-buiing member I8 of the character above described is secured to each ofthe hooks I2 upon a center mount I0 by insertion of the run 28 of the eye thereof into the hook I2. After the members have been so assembled, the retainer plate I4 is applied and the parts are thenl held against disassembly. Observe in this connection that ther eye membersLincluding the parts 28 to 36,' inclusive, lie substantially in the plane of the center mount I0 and that the longitudinal dimension of each of the reinforcing parts 28 and 24 of each bufing member is parallel to the center l mount III. ,The bufling members are of such size that, when they are so assembled,v they will engage each other adjacent to the ends of the reinforced longitudinal centers of the buing members. Upon rotation the members I8 assume a form projecting outwardly as shown, due to centrifugal force. In this form themembers I8 will -be substantially flat to present a large surface area and will be folded at their margins soin the direction of the length of the eye members during use of the buiiing wheel. The reinforcing members 20 and 26 lie in planes transverse of the plane of the center mount I0 and serve effectively to anchor the eyemembers 28 to the buftlng wheel, and in addition serve also; because of the tendency thereof to Vrigidify the center of the buillng members, to control the shape which such members assume under the action of centrifugal y force in operation. In-other Words, said members provide a substantially'flat central portion of the birding members at all times, from the margins of which fiat rigid center portions the free outer "portions 'of the bufiing cloth fold to assume the position shown in Figs'. l and 2. It will be apparent, therefore, that when it is desired to assemble a buillng unit of the character shown in Fig. 1, and, subsequently, when it is desired to disassemble the same and to re'mount the partly worn members I8 upon a center of larger diam-- eter, very little time is required to accomplish these purposes since the hooks permit free and quick application of the eyes thereto and removal of the eyes therefrom. l

In the modified embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, I have taken advantage ofthe rigid character of the center portion of each bumng member provided by the reinforcing members 28 and 2,4 thereof for the purpose of lomitting the use of a retainer such as the plate It used in the Fig. 1 embodiment. This is accomplished ,by forming the center'mount 50 from a plate of polygonal outline when fabricated as illustrated n/Fig. 3. While Fig. 3 illustrates a plate of diagonal shape, it will be understood that the number of sides `of the plate may be varied, depending upon the size of the buffing Wheel desired and the size of the different members I8 employed therewith. To provide such a construch tion, the polygonal plateI `5I) is provided with a pair of slots 52 which are equally spaced from the endof the edge of the plate adjacent thereto. The hooks 54 are formed between said slots 52 'and the .provision ofthe slots accommodates the arrangement best illustrated in Fig. 4, wherein the outermost portion of the surface of each 'hook at 56 is tangent to the plane in which the 28 of the leyes of the different members are engaged and anchored at the hooks 54 in the same manner described above. In this instance, however, a firm solid abutment of substantial length and Width is provided by the center mount for the central rigid portion of each buiiing member as shown in Fig. 4.- In other words, the flat substantially rigid center portion of each member- I8 bears flat against the edge 58 and the hook surface 58. This prevents any tendency of the bufling member to rock about the run 28 as an axis after the buing wheel has been assembled.

advantage especially in a buffing wheel formedI of a plurality of centermounts rarranged side by side upon a shaft, this device possesses advantages of light weight, lower cost, and minimum consumption of time to assemble and disassemble.- The time saving is effected primarily by reason of the fact that retainer plates, such as plates I4, need not be handled and manipulated.

While the construction of the device as described herein is preferred, it will be understood that changes may be made in the construction within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Iclaim:

l. A buiiing wheel comprising a metal plate having a central mounting aperture and a plurality of integral inwardly return-bent hooks spaced uniformly about the margin of the plate and equally spaced from said aperture, a plurality of fabric bufng members. a metal eye member carried by the ycenter of each fabric member for reception by a plate hook, and a retainer plate bearing against said first plate with its margin adjacent the mouths of said hooks to prevent disengagement of said hook and eye.

2. A buiiing wheel comprising a metal plate having a central mounting aperture and a plurality of integral inwardly return-bent hooks spaced uniformly about the margin of the plate and equally spaced from said aperture, a plurality of fabric bufllng members, a metal eye member carried by the center of each fabric member for reception by a plate hook, and a retainer plate bearing against said first plate with its margin adjacent the mouths of said hooks to prevent disengagement of said hook and eye, said fabric buftlng members being reinforced and stiiIened at their center portions andsaid eye members being anchored at said reinforced center portions.

3. A bufiing whee1\comprising a metal plate having a central mounting aperture and a plurality of integral inwardly return-bent hooks spaced uniformly about the margin of the plate and equally spaced from said aperture, a plurality of fabric builng members,` a metal eye member carried by the' center of each fabric. member for reception by a plate hook, and a retainer plate bearing against said iirst plate with its margin adjacent the. mouths of said hooks to prevent disengagement of said hook and eye, each eye 6 hook-s formed at the margin of said plate, each hook being positioned substantially centrally of a fiat edge portion of said plate with its outer curved surface substantially tangent to the plane of said edge portion, a plurality of fabric bulng members, and an eye member secured to the center of each buiiing member and detachably connected to a hook, said bufng members being bunched when assembled and the margins thereof being outwardly projectedby centrifugal force in use, the central portion of each buiiing memberbearing against and being positioned by the fiat edge portions of said plate adjacent to the hook which mounts it.

5. The construction dened in claim 4, wherein each bufiing member has a central rigidifying and reinforcing member at the portion thereof at which said eye member is secured, said last named member holding the portion of said buiing member adjacent to said eye substantially y flat in a plane perpendicular to said plate.

6. A bumng wheel comprising a rigid metalV plate having a plurality o1' inwardly return bent hook portions formed integrally therewith at its periphery in equi-spaced relation to each other and equally spaced from the center of the plate, said plate having aligned straight eye portions on opposite sides of each hook each lying in a plane tangent to the outer surface of the adiacent hook and perpendicular to said plate, a plurality of fabric buiilng members each having a rigid substantially nat center portion bearing against the outer surface of said hook and against said adjacent edge portions, and an eye secured to the center portion of each builing member and detachably engaged by said hook and cooperating with the engagement oi said center bufiing part with said hookfand edge portions to operatively position said bufiing member on said plate.

7. A bufllng member adapted for detachable hooked connection with a rigid center mount. comprising a plurality of superimposed sheets of flexible material secured together, an elongated reinforcing and rigidifying member secured ,to the central portionYY of said sheet assembly, and

' a rigid.eye extending through said sheets and member having a central portion spaced from one surface of the`associated buifing member end portions off-set from said central portion and bearing against said surface and returnbent terminal portions extending through said member and clamped thereto, said eye member having an elongated portion off-set from said fabric and reinforcing parts and adapted for detachable connection with a hook on said center mount, the marginal portion of said bufiing member being exible.

8. A buftlng member as defined in claim 1, wherein said reinforcing member constitutes a plurality of layers oi' a fabric of greater thickness and stiness than said first fabric, and said eye is formed of rigid wire whose ends are positioned at thev side of said bufilng member opposite that adjacent to said. off-set portion and are secured together.

9. A bunlng member as dened in claim '1.

wherein said reinforcing member constitutes at y v JOHN Ennemi. No references cited. 

